Electronic circuits which include electronic components arranged on a printed circuit board are usually protected by a housing of plastic for better isolation from mechanical effects outside. In order to be able to arrange the printed circuit board in the housing, the housing can be comprised of two identical or different halves although more than two parts can be conceivable as well. After the mounting of the printed circuit board in one of the housing parts, at least a further housing part can be connected detachably or nondetachably therewith. If the connection is a nondetachable connection, the housing parts can be Joined, for example, by an adhesive. This has however the disadvantage that in the case of failure, the housing must be destroyed to afford access to the mounted circuit board and its components.
A screw connection of the two housing parts, for example, is conceivable for a detachable connection thereof. This however has the drawback that, to connect the two housing parts, a tool as well as additional fasteners are required. This increases the number of parts which are necessary and, in conjunction therewith, the cost of mounting or assembly. In addition, snap connections are known for connecting the housing parts together and can include detent hooks on one housing part which can engage in openings or recesses in the other housing part. These can have however the disadvantage that they may not be able to connect the two housing parts sufficiently strongly together so that, in spite of the connection of the housing part by snap fasteners, the two housing parts can move relative to one another and can lead to undesired noise generated by the relative movement of the housing parts. Furthermore, the reliability of any seal between the two housing parts cannot be guaranteed so that especially it is possible for moisture or water sprayed onto the housing to penetrate into the interior. There is also the danger with such snap connections that two parts will not sufficiently lock together or will not lock together at all so that while optically one might have the impression that the two housing parts are connected together in operation and especially in the case of vibration, the two housing parts can become detached from one another.